Master of Social Work

The Opportunity to Serve
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an additional 100,000 social workers will be needed by 2018 to keep pace with the volume and complexity of social needs in their communities. This includes highly qualified and licensed social workers.

The Degree
The Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program at the KU Edwards Campus, offered through KU's School of Social Welfare, prepares graduates for clinical social work practice or client-centered and community-centered administrative practice. It’s the only program in Kansas and the greater Kansas City area that offers both clinical and administrative concentrations.

The School of Social Welfare’s practice-centered approach is designed to:

Focus on people’s strengths

Celebrate human diversity

Proclaim social justice

Provide a critical perspective

In addition, students gain real-world experience at our school of social work by completing practicums in clinical and administrative settings chosen from more than 400 social work settings in Kansas.

Learn how recent graduate Adele Falk is providing a voice for many who’ve been silenced by abuse.

Flexible Classes
All classes required for the M.S.W. degree are offered at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park or in the blended format. Blended classes combine face-to-face and online learning. Students may attend full-time or part-time with afternoon, evening, and Saturday classes. Two, three, and four-year regular program plans of study are offered. All required courses must be completed within four years.

Points of Distinction
Each year, U.S. News & World Report ranks KU's M.S.W. program among the nation's top 20 at public universities — and it’s the top-ranked social work master’s program in Kansas City. In fact, more than 80 percent of graduates pass the national licensure on the first attempt, which is higher than the national average. In addition, more than 90 percent of graduates secure employment within a month of graduation.

The Master of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE is the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the country. Social work education began at KU in 1937. The Master of Social Work program, established in Lawrence and at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City in 1946, has been continuously accredited since 1948 with the most recent reaccreditation in 2010.